The Casting Corner: January 17, 2011 Archives
When does the information on the resume reach overkill? Can you have too much of a good thing? This week we look at the perils of "TMI."
Can too many co-star credits make you look like a "co-star actor?" That was the question posed by one of my readers last week. Excellent question. Complex answer.
Mainly because it depends on whether or not those co-star jobs were one-liners or more substantial parts. There's no shame in either but if you are only being booked for one-liners you need to step it up and make casting people see that you can do more. Intensify your training program. Use indie films to book some meatier roles.
Do you have to list them as co-star credits? No. In the first column on your resume you would list the show or film title. In the second column you do not have to write co-star over and over. What if you wrote the character names?
And by the time you are booking co-star roles on television you will probably have some film credits as well, even if they are only student films and shorts. If so, put your film and television credits together. This will break up the monotony of a long list of co-star roles.
You should only list extra work if you have nothing else to put under acting work. I'd rather see student films and shorts than extra work because at least in the former you had to act in front of the camera.
I would limit myself to five "extra" credits at most and only if that's all you have to list. As soon as you can eliminate them, one by one, do so. Every time you add a student film, take an extra job off.
Can you ever list too much training? Sure. If you've taken twenty classes I don't need to see them all on the resume. Show me that you've completed a minimum of two years in a solid technique class. Let's see a couple of improvisation classes on the resume. A nice on-camera class would be good. Maybe some voice, movement and a couple of others. If your degree is in theatre, drama, stage, etc. then list it, otherwise don't.
What I don't want to see under training is things that aren't actually training. I don't need to see that you hold a degree in agriculture. I don't need to know that you spent a few hours one day at a casting director workshop.
The same goes for theatre. I just need a representation of your theatre credits; I don't need every single play you've ever appeared in. Six is fine. More than ten is going to overwhelm the page.
Under special skills you only want to list things that help us cast you such as horseback-riding and experience with firearms. It doesn't help me to know that you have computer skills or that you're right-handed. And avoid cliches like "works well with children and animals."
For so many reasons you do not want to list information that is too personal. I don't need your home address, your social security number or even your SAG number. I don't need your measurements, only your height, weight, hair and eye color. Leave the rest for the call from wardrobe.
Never, under any circumstances, do you give your age. I don't need to know how old you are; I just need to know how old you look, which is covered in an accurate headshot. Kids are the exception to this rule because we do need to know actual ages of minors.
If you are seeking work in film and television projects then lose the commercial and infomercial credits. I don't want to see print jobs, music videos or hosting. You also don't need voice-over work on there unless you did some serious narration or voice-over on a film or television series.
Reality TV credits are not necessary, either. If that's all you have at present then it's time for some classes and student films so we know you are an actor and not a "personality."
And as I've said before, the one thing I never want to see on that resume is anything that you didn't actually do. Don't lie on your resume. Even if I don't know that you're lying, you will. And if that doesn't bother you then you have much worse problems than a thin resume.
A great resume will help present you as a professional actor and lead to more auditions. There should be balance in the information you give us as well as integrity. You want your resume to encourage us to bring you in. Don't let too much information have the opposite effect.
We'll be continuing this discussion all week over at "The Casting Corner" Facebook page so come on over and join the discussion.
I've also seen a few actors make some major faux pas on their resume. I'm going over mine to fix it too.
